As an Ohio-born basketball phenom recognized throughout much of the world, LeBron Raymone James Jr.’s teenage years share a lot in common with his famous father’s.
Bronny, as he’s known, has been a celebrity for nearly as long as LeBron, having been born in 2004 as the elder James was embarking on his illustrious NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.Â
And as he’s grown from LeBron’s adorable sidekick into one of the most prized college recruits in the country, 18-year-old Bronny has become a product spokesman, endorsing the same brands that already pay his father: Nike, Beats by Dre.
But with his highly-anticipated college decision on the horizon, Bronny is finally set to differentiate himself from LeBron.
For starters, his father skipped the NCAA level in 2003 because the NBA had yet to implement its controversial one-and-done rule, requiring prospects to be one year removed from their high school class’s graduation before being draft eligible.Â
Bronny James (far left, far right) has been a constant for father LeBron throughout his career
Sierra Canyon’s Bronny James drives to the basket during a high school game between Sierra Canyon and Wheeler in The Chosen-1’s Invitational at Galen Center on January 7
At the time, LeBron was already perceived as a generational talent, capable of competing against the NBA’s best long before he was even eligible to vote.
But Bronny is not pegged to be the ‘Next LeBron,’ nor is he some watered-down version of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. Instead, the combo guard at the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, is very much his own player, and one that some insiders see as a potential top-10 pick in 2024.
Bronny has always been a highly visible part of LeBron’s orbit alongside mother Savannah – LeBron’s high school sweetheart from Akron – as well as younger siblings Bryce and Zhuri.
But it wasn’t until 2019, when he enrolled at Sierra Canyon alongside the son of his father’s former teammate, Dwyane Wade, that Bronny began drawing attention for his own play.
Since then, Bronny has filled out to 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, a far cry from his 6-foot-9 father, but plenty tall enough given his athleticism and defensive skills that have drawn scholarship offers from Ohio State, Oregon, and USC, among others.
‘As most of his peers have flatlined the past 12 to 18 months, James has grown, filled out his frame, found another gear with his explosiveness and become an absolute terror off the ball defensively thanks to his outstanding intensity and feel for the game,’ NBA Draft guru Jonathan Givony wrote for ESPN.
‘He still has plenty of room to improve his ballhandling and pull-up jumper to become a more prolific and efficient shot creator, but he has already caught the eyes of NBA decision-makers with the way he contributes to winning and likely will continue to grow and fill out his game.’
Despite a minor knee injury, Bronny’s stat line has been solid, if not spectacular: 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior, according to the Los Angeles Times.
LeBron James Jr., son of LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, looks at a picture of his father on the back of David Heritsch’s digital camera as the Cavs play in 2007
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a picture with his family in February, (L-R) Bronny James, Bryce James, Zhuri James Savannah James and Gloria James
Bryce James, Savannah Brinson and LeBron James Jr. attend the LeBron James press conference to announce his 4th NBA MVP Award at American Airlines Arena on May 5, 2013
Bronny’s production was deemed good enough to qualify for the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game alongside two other NBA scions: Andrej Stojakovic, the son of Peja, and D.J Wagner, the son of LeBron’s former teammate, Dajuan.
‘His vert has improved as much as any kid in the class,’ McDonald’s voting committee member Brandon Clay told USA Today’s Josh Peter.
‘Every time I’ve seen him play live, he’s been really good, man,’ Clay continued. ‘He’s played great competition. He always looks like he belongs at the table. He doesn’t look out of place.’
Scouting agencies have Bronny ranked anywhere from 34 (247 Sports) to 28 (ESPN) in the class of 2023, but those figures have more to do with current ability than future projections.
Writing for ESPN with an eye towards the 2024 NBA Draft, Givony sees Bronny as a top-10 pick given his recent growth, much of which cannot be measured by a box score. Whereas his father might be the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer, Bronny doesn’t need to score to impact winning, according to 247 Sports’ Adam Finkelstein.
‘What is counterintuitive is that LeBron James’ son and namesake isn’t necessarily the guy who’s going to go out and put 30 points on the board on any given night,’ Finkelstein told USA Today. ‘That’s the part that I think surprises people at first glance who haven’t been watching him.
‘What I think is most impressive is given the microscope he’s been under for his entire high school career, he has always played the right way. It means he’s shared the basketball, hasn’t forced bad shots, hasn’t forced himself into a starring role, plays within the flow of the game, doesn’t overdribble. It means he is engaged and competitive defensively.
‘Even though he may not go out and get you 30, he does things that will impact winning not just at this level but at the next level.’
LeBron James, Jr. Bronny (center) dunks the ball during Sierra Canyon’s home opener game on Tuesday, December 3, 2019
(Left)Â LeBron James Jr. drives to the basket during youth tournament action at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte. (Right)Â Â LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates with his sons LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus after in the 2015 NBA Playoffs
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers holds his son LeBron Jr. after their 98-82 win against the Detroit Pistons in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during 2007 playoffs
Dwyane Wade, Zaire Wade, Bryce Maximus James, LeBron James Sr and LeBron James Jr. pose together after Zaire Wade’s AAU game at the Fab 48 tournament in Las Vegas in July 2018
Bronny James (left) and Jojo Phillips, members of the Sierra High School boys basketball team, share a light moment during media day inside the schools gymnasium
Bronny and LeBron would hardly be the first father and son to play in the NBA.
Sacramento Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis is the son of Arvydas, the Lithuanian center and Soviet icon who later played for the Portland Trail Blazers; future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry is the son of former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Dell, and his current Golden State Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Gary Payton II are the sons of former NBA players Mychal and Gary Sr.
For that matter, Kobe was the son of Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, a journeyman forward who played in the NBA before starring in Italy.
But the annals of NBA history are void of any All-Star father-son duos. Whereas baseball had Bobby and Barry Bonds, hockey had Bobby and Brett Hull, and football had Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, basketball has yet to see one family’s elite generation give way to another.
It’s too early to say if Bronny can become an All-Star, as his father has 19 times before him, but the two could still make NBA history by playing alongside each other.
The NBA has never had a father-son duo playing in the same club, and James hasn’t been shy about his desire to team up with Bronny.
‘My last year will be played with my son,’ James told The Athletic in February last year. ‘Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.’
Ken Griffey Sr. (left) made a name for himself with the Cincinnati Reds before joining the Seattle Mariners, where his son and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. was playingÂ
James would not be the first professional athlete to play alongside their child.
NHL legend Gordie Howe teamed with sons Mark and Marty on the WHA’s Houston Aeros in the 1970s. Mark and Gordie also played together on the Hartford Whalers before and after the WHA’s merger with the NHL.
In 1990, former Major League All-Star Ken Griffey Sr. signed with the Seattle Mariners, where his son and namesake had already begun his Hall of Fame career. In fact, that father-son duo hit back-to-back home runs against the California Angels on September 14, 1990.
Whether or not Bronny and LeBron can have a similar impact playing together is anyone’s guess.
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But what is becoming increasingly clear is that Bronny, a speedy combo guard and student of the game, isn’t simply a clone of LeBron, a chiseled forward who has fulfilled his destiny as Michael Jordan’s successor.
‘He’s a very different player obviously than his father,’ Clay said of Bronny. ‘If you’re judging him by that lens, I think it’s unfair to the kid.
‘But if you’re talking about a kid that plays the game the right way, makes the extra pass to the corner kid, can shoot the 3-ball, I feel like he played his way into the discussion.’
The three Howes, Father Gordie (left) and sons Marty (center) and Mark make an appearance for the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Gordie and Mark also played together with the WhalersÂ
